Zink, Helen Mary Gertrude (Ella)

• Sister Ella Zink, SOS

Born 21 June 1911 in Montreal; daughter of William Zink and Margaret Moore; entered 21 January 1938; first vows 15 August 1940; final vows 15 August 1946; died 25 October 1992.

A Montréaler, Ella, an only child after death of an infant brother, grew up in the city's English-speaking parishes of St. Ann's and St. Gabriel's. She studied at St. Ann’s Academy, Villa Maria Convent and Marguerite Bourgeoys College before training as a nurse at St. Vincent de Paul Hospital in Brockville, Ontario. A singer, Ella appeared regularly on local radio broadcasts, both while a teenager and later as a young nurse. For three years, she worked as a public health nurse with the Montreal department of health. At 26, she entered the Sisters of Service, professing first vows on August 15, 1940 and final vows on August 15, 1946.

For the first 15 years of mission appointments, she nursed at the two rural Alberta hospitals of St. John’s hospital in Edson (1939-1941; 1946-1949) and Our Lady’s Hospital in Vilna (1941-1946; acting superior 1951; superior 1952-1954).

Remaining at the Motherhouse after the Chapter in 1954, she enrolled at Ryerson Polytechnical Institute, studying photography for future assignments. When appointed as editor of The Field at Home (1955-1974), she also embarked on a career in religious promotional work, primarily for the Sisters of Service. During five summers of study, she earned a masters of arts degree in journalism and theology at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Later, she studied philosophy of social communications at St. Paul’s University in Ottawa. As editor, she documented the changes of the community through the 1950s and the 1960s, presenting illustrated articles of the founding and early missions. In the magazine, she emphasized individual sisters through their own words or Sister Zink’s profiles to celebrate jubilees and to memorialize after death. Special issues were devoted to vocations, Chapter deliberations and the contributions during the 1967 Canadian centennial. At the same, Sister Zink travelled to parishes, giving illustrated slides of the sisters’ missions to promote interest in vocations.

In the wake of the Second Vatican Council and the consequential changes for religious life, Sister Zink joined the Canadian Religious Conference (CRC) in Ottawa, (1965-1968), as a member of the permanent secretariat office and later assistant general secretary. Remaining in Ottawa, Sister Zink was the first woman director of public relations of English sector (1968-1973) for Catholic Conference of Bishops (CCB). In that capacity, she attended some of the synods of the bishops in Rome.

Continuing in public relations, Sister Zink returned to the hospital field as assistant executive director for public relations and publications (1973-1975) of the Catholic Hospital Association. She was employed by a non-religious organization as public relations director (1975-1980) of the YM-YWCA. During those years (1965-1981) in Ottawa, she also assisted other organizations, including as a member of the publicity committee of the Ontario Heart Foundation, campaign publicity committee of the United Way of Ottawa-Carleton, publicity committee of the social planning council of Ottawa-Carleton and a board member of the Catholic Family Services of Ottawa. For the profession of public relations, she served as chief examiner for the Canadian Public Relations Society of Canada (1973-1987), which approved the accreditation of public relations practitioners and its chair (1980-1982), receiving an award of merit from the society at the end of that term.

Upon returning to Toronto, Sister Zink resided at the Motherhouse (1981-1982), in a nearby house on Broadview Avenue (1983-1987) and a downtown apartment on De Grassi Street (1987-1992) with Sister Agnes Sheehan. Diagnosed with cancer, Sister Zink underwent treatment and joined the retired sisters at Scarborough Court for the six months before she died in St. Michael’s Hospital on October 25, 1992. The wake service was held at Scarborough Court and the funeral mass with celebrant Fr. Edward Dowling S.J. at nearby St. Boniface church. Her body is buried in the community's plot at Mount Hope cemetery, Toronto.

Created by F Rousselle May 1, 2025.

Biographical sketch adapted for brevity from complete biography written by SOS congregational archivist MC Havey.